Book Review: For We Are Many (Bobiverse 2) by Dennis E. Taylor

4.5/5 stars. In the second installment of the Bobiverse, we are introduced to several more instances of Bob and at least two new species of aliens, one of whom does not seem to be very amenable to the ongoing existence of the Bobs, or any sentient life, in the universe. Can anyone say Borg?!?

Once again, Taylor has included action, adventure, humanization of the Bob A.I.s, and several moments of empathy in his unique story of one man’s (A.I. built from a man?’s) continuing exploration of the vast universe. In the search for habitable planets for the remnants of the human population left on the dying Earth, one of the Bobs encounters an alien species, the Others, that can communicate with the Bobs in Mandarin and who see all life as food. They destroy planetary systems to take all the resources, particularly metals, for building and expanding their own hive ships. What can the Bobs do to discourage or stop the attacks of populated systems, even Earth?

One of the great aspects of this series so far is the way that Taylor humanizes Bob, even though his growth as a super-intelligent A.I. supersedes his former life as a genius human. We see him in the roles of father, lover, brother, child, and friend. We watch as he experiences loss, happiness, sadness, fear, and longing. Taylor has created a universe that resembles our own but is far more fascinating. His creation comments on humanity’s poor environmental decisions but focuses more on the positive traits that drive humans to create and sustain civilizations. I look forward to continuing this series!

Also, I listened to most of this book on audio in addition to reading the beautiful new publisher hardcover edition. Ray Porter does an excellent job of narrating all the different voices of Bob, giving each personality a different cadence and inflection. Porter is an excellent narrator of everything he does!

Highly recommended!